Essay
I am in need of help writing a 1500 word essay in addition to an outline for the essay. Can anyone help?
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Research Paper
Overview
For the final assignment in ENGL 102, you will write a Research Paper in which you will take a
stand on an issue, offer reasons and evidence in support of your position, and summarize and
respond to alternative views. Your goal is to persuade your audience and try to bring them
around to your opinion or point of view.
This Research Paper demands much effort on your part and you will go through two steps
(Formal Outline and Final Draft) to accomplish this assignment. These two steps will serve as
the guidelines and ensure that your paper will not be off the topic and thus meet the
requirement for this assignment.
Suggested Essay Structure:
1) Introduction with thesis statement
2) Support of your reasons with evidence
3) Presentation of opposing views
4) Rebuttal or Refutation: your argument against opposing views
5) Conclusion
Formal Outline with Thesis (20%)
Due Date: Monday, October 5
Outside Sources
Items selected should be from different types of sources. In your final paper, you must have at
least eight sources, three different types of sources, and no more than two of your sources can
come from the Internet. Here is an incomplete list of possible types of sources.
Books (see the library online catalog)
Print articles (If you are not sure how to do this, ask at the Library Help Desk for help.)
Print articles online (If you are not sure how to do this, ask at the Library Help Desk for
help.)
Web pages (be careful! Evaluate the credibility and validity of individual web pages. Cite
the URL — the web address that appears in the address line of your web browser.)
Interviews. Be sure you cite the name, title, and reason for interviewing the person you
interview, and cite the time. Do not do more than one interview for your paper.
Local information publications such as brochures, information pamphlets, or white
papers (documents produced by government agencies and local organizations)
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Final Draft (80%)
Due Date: Friday, December 11
In this final draft you will use the sources you have collected to assist you in making the
argument. To truly be persuasive, however, you must recognize and discuss opposing
viewpoints. Not only does it enhance your credibility as a writer to address views that differ
from the ones you propose, but it also allows for a fuller understanding of the issue you are
writing about. Remember that reasonable people do disagree about most important issues.
In this draft, you will continue to outline the argument and supporting reasons, but you will also
summarize an opposing set of viewpoints and refute them. Refutation is more than simply re-
stating your argument. It means that you will consider the opposing viewpoints and disagree
with these opposing reasons. For example, if you were writing an argument proposing a
solution that Social Security should be strengthened by those funds being set aside, an
opposing viewpoint would certainly be that the best way to strengthen Social Security
retirement funds would be for the government to invest more aggressively in stocks or higher-
yield bonds. You would certainly acknowledge this opposing viewpoint as reasonable but, to
refute it, you might well go to its supporting reasons (e.g., more money can be made in the
Stock market than can in safer investments, or, higher yields make for more prosperous
retirements). In either case, you could refute the opposing viewpoints by referring to the
riskiness of the market. Of course, there would be other ways to refute but, in each case,
refutation should acknowledge the claim, reasons, and evidence of the opposing viewpoints.
Make sure that the Final Draft contains the following elements:
The issue should be clearly defined and should be one of the topics approved by your
instructor.
The problematic nature/significance of the issue is clear.
At least 8 sources from a variety of media should be used in support of the writers
position and/or the opposing views. No more than two Internet sources should be used.
The draft should have a clearly identified audience and purposeafter reading the
draft, it should be clear to whom the writer is writing and why he/she is writing.
The draft is logically organized, with a clear thesis, reasons, and evidence.
Opposing viewpoints are acknowledged and addressed. Rebuttal should be tied directly
to these opposing viewpoints.
The writer has created a balanced paragraph structure.
The writer uses variety in sentence length and type.
A separate Works Cited page following MLA documentation.
The total word count should be at least 1500 words.
The draft should exhibit reasonable error control.
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Suggested Topics:
1. Arming Pilots
2. Art/Public Funding
3. Beauty Contests
4. Cancel Culture
5. Cheap Labor
6. Compulsory Vaccination
7. Controlling Prescription Drug Costs
8. Endangered Species (specific)
9. Fast Food: Should fast food restaurants be blamed for obesity?
10. Free College Education
11. Going back to college as an adult or going to college right after high school?
12. Government Infrastructure Spending
13. Grade Inflation
14. Immigration
15. Nutrition Labeling
16. Online Dating
17. Parents held responsible when their children break laws
18. Privacy: Should the government be allowed to wiretap without permission?
19. Reality Shows
20. Road Rage
21. School Lunches
22. Standardized Tests
23. Uber
24. Vegetarianism
25. Workplace concerns
The topics above are rather general and only serve to give you a sense of the topics you can
pick. In other words, the title of your research paper should be more specific.
If you intend to choose another topic, please be sure that the topic should be approved by the
instructor.
Note: Please avoid the following (plus a few other) deadly topics:
1) Abortion
2) Abstinence/Safe Sex/Teenage Pregnancy
3) Adoption
4) Animal Testing / Animal Experimentation / Animal Research
5) Corporal Punishment
6) Death Penalty
7) Drinking Age
8) Drug Legalization (Marijuana for medical use, etc.)
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9) Eating Disorder
10) Gay Marriage
11) Gun Control
12) Juvenile Crime
13) Minimal Wage
14) Prayer in School
15) Religion
16) School Uniforms
17) Seatbelts / Airbags
18) Sex and/or Violence on TV
19) Sex Education/Birth Control
20) Smoking in Public Places
21) Speed Limits
22) Teenage Driving
23) Video Game Violence
24) Violence in Schools
